AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Japanese website Cinema Today has premiered the teaser trailer for Toei Animation’s forthcoming feature film Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~ (Rainbow-Colored Fireflies: The Eternal Summer Vacation~). The adaptation of Masayuki Kawaguchi’s 2007 novel tells the story of Yuta, a sixth-grade boy grieving over his father’s death who gets the opportunity to experience a joyous summer vacation after time-slipping 30 years back in time. Yuta will be voiced by 14-year-old actor Akashi Takei (Kamen Rider Decade).

Konosuke Uda (Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy) is directing with Hisashi Mori (Samurai 7) providing character design and serving as animation director. The film will hit Japanese theaters on May 19.

I recognize that the simplified character design is intentional style, but I’m still a little disappointed to see fluid animation come at the cost of detailed art design.

Source: Anime News Network

Champion RED Ichigo magazine has announced that Hideaki Yoshikawa’s ongoing “science trouble” risqué romantic comedy manga series Kagaku na Yatsura will be getting an OAD. The manga starring “a cyborg girl and a half-dog girl who go to extremes with the power of science,” premiered in 2010.

Source: Anime News Network

Limited edition copies of the fifth volume of Chako Abeno’s Dantalian no Shoka manga released this August will include a bonus anime episode DVD. The cast and staff of last year’s Dantalian no Shoka television series from Gainax will reunite to produce the new “Ibara Hime” (Rose Princess) episode. The ninth volume of Gakuto Mikumo’s original light novel series released last month was initially announced to include an OAD, but the bonus anime was canceled last September.

Source: Anime News Network

The Japanese branch of the Johnnie Walker whiskey label is now streaming a 5-minute promotional anime comissioned from Studio 4°C. Tekkon Kinkreet character designer Shoujirou Nishimi directed the “Haru wa Kuru” (Spring Arrives) short to illustrate the Johnny Walker slogan “Keep Walking.”

While I have a little difficultly associating the whimsical design and tone of this animation with whiskey, this short does re-confirm that 4°C does its best work when it’s producing esoteric, experimental animation rather than mainstream, conventional anime.

Source: Crunchyroll

TV Tokyo has launched an official website formally announcing a live-action TV series adaptation of Tetsuhiro Hirakawa’s juvenille delinquent action/comedy manga series Clover. The ongoing manga launched in 2007 and presently has 24 compiled volumes. The TV series will premiere later this spring.

Source: Anime News Network

FUNimation has acquired the broadcast, home entertainment, merchandising, mobile, and streaming rights to last year’s school comedy television series Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. FUNimation simulcast the 12 episode series last fall as it aired in Japan. The comedy about a school club for teens who have trouble making friends will be released, eventually, on bilingual domestic DVD & BD.

This acquisition, of course, should surprise no one, as this title is too high profile not to get licensed by someone domestically. Although it didn’t turn into another OreImo scale smash hit, it wanted to.

Source: Anime News Network

FUNimation has formally ceased distribution of the “Kodocha,” and Nerima Daikon Brothers anime television series, and the Korean/American animated film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles.

FUNimation has also discontinuted production and distribution of the Dragon Ball Z Kai part one to four releases, as those releases have now been superceded by the current complete season DVD & Blu-ray sets.

Source: Anime News Network

Japanese digital retailer DMM is now streaming the six-minute long first episode of the current Gokujyo. Gokurakuin Joshi Koryo Monogatari television series. The episode has no English translation but is available to international viewers that have Microsoft Silverlight installed. The episode was scheduled to premiere on the Chukyo TV network on the 16th, but at the last minute, the TV network chose not to broadcast the episode. Likewise, the Chukyo TV network decided not to broadcast last week’s third episode. DMM will be streaming the uncensored first episode of the risqué schoolgirl comedy until February 6.

Toei has released a 30 second preview of next week’s first episode of Smile Precure. The ninth Pretty Cure television series will take over Suite Precure’s timeslot on February 5.

This is increasingly obviously looking like a remake of 2007′s Yes! Precure 5 with marginaly younger characters. The trailer footage from :16 to :18 appears to even begin the story in a library, just like the first episode of Yes! Precure did.

Source: Anime News Network

MBS Television network’s anime producer Seiji Takeda reportedly revealed at the Anime Business Forum+ 2012 convention yesterday that a feature film spin-off from studio BONES’ 2011 sci-fi robot anime series Star Driver is in development. Considering that BONES’ original robot anime series Rahxephon & Eureka Seven have both gotten feature films, a Star Driver feature isn’t so out-of-the-ordinary.

Source: Anime News Network

FUNimation has announced an indefinite hiatus on the continued release of Dragon Ball Z on Blu-ray. The “Level 2.1″ disc scheduled for release on March 27 will not be released. FUNimation has explained, “Due to technical challenges of restoring from the original film frame by frame, we are unable to continue these releases by way of this process.” FUNimation expects to research more practical and commercially viable means of remastering the Dragon Ball Z anime for future Blu-ray release.

I suppose this is going to push the after-market value of the domestic Dragon Boxes even higher than they already are, unless FUNi reverses its memoriam decision and begins reprinting them.

Source: Anime News Network

NIS America has announced its acquisition of Sunrise’s current slice-of-life gag comedy TV series Daily Lives of High School Boys (Danshi Kokosei no Nichijo). Specifics of the release have not been confirmed yet. The series premiered on January 9.

In September 2011, Viz Media announced that it had contracted marketing & placement company T3 Networks Inc. to market Viz anime titles to television networks and film distributors. T3 Networks Inc. announced earlier this week that it had ceased all business operations, explaining, “We lack the sales, personnel and additional resources essential to continue operations as a business.”

Source: Anime News Network

Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe is helming the anime adaptation of Yuki Kodama’s drama manga Sakamichi no Apollon. The April Noitamina series tells the story of an introverted intellectual high school boy in the 1960s who finds common ground through jazz music with his new school’s female class president and a delinquent boy. The manga was the winner of the “Best General Manga” category in this year’s prestigious Shogakukan Manga Awards. The anime from studio MAPPA/Tezuka Productions is an all-star production reuniting director Watanabe with Cowboy Bebop music composer Yoko Kanno. Nobuteru Yuki (Escaflowne, Paradise Kiss) provides character design. Ayako Katoh (Chihayafuru) & Yuuko Kakihara (Persona 4 the Animation) are co-writing the scripts. Yoshimitsu Yamashita (Hyoge Mono) is serving as animation director. Shinichiro Watanabe hasn’t directed a full anime production since helming his “Baby Blue” segment of the 2007 anthology film Genius Party.

Can’t say that I immediately like the CG animation, but this is already assured of being one of 2012′s most acclaimed and respected shows simply based on its pedigree. It is certainly nice to see Noitamina getting back to unconventional adult oriented anime.

Source: Anime News Network

Gekkan Flowers Magazine has formally announced the development of an anime based on Aloha Higa’s lady’s comedy manga Shirokuma Café (Polar Bear Café). The slice-of-life gag comedy revolves around the animal patrons that visit a Café run by a polar bear. The manga premiered in 2006 and has three collected volumes. The anime adaptation will premiere in April.

Source: Anime News Network